European Roulette

European Rouletteis the original version of roulette and roulette table, and was played predominantly on the Continent for much of its history. The origins of the game are obscure but it is speculated that a game played by the Roman Vestal Virgins is the first roulette ever played. Instead of a wheel the women used dice but the essential rules are very similar. Now, thousands of year's later roulette uses a wheel that contains thirty-seven numbered pockets labeled from zero to thirty-six and each number is colored either red or black, except for the zero, which is colored green.

Betting is conducted in one of several ways. You can bet on the ball to land in one certain pocket, called a straight bet, and this gives the house the largest edge and the player the largest payoff at 36-1, as opposed to American roulette which only pays off at 3-1 on a straight bet. You can also bet on more than one number or set of numbers, or colors, to come up. For instance, you can bet that the ball will land in one of the pockets 1-18. This is called an even bet because you essentially have the best chance to win, about 50% but it only pays 1:1. These rules apply whether you are playing roulette in the casino, playing an online roulette game, or even free roulette.

The table has both inside and outside betting fields. These are the different categories'
of bets. These fields guide players, helping them sort out their inside and outside bets. You must meet the minimum and stay below the maximum limit on that particular table.

Inside Bets

All inside bets must total the table minimum. Since the zero lies inside this bet square, any zero bet is considered an inside bet. There are several different types of inside bet. You can bet a straight up bet, on a particular number, you can split your bets, or bet on two slots, side by side, a 17-1 pay off, or you can place a street bet, which will place bets on a series of three numbers with an 11-1 payoff. You can also do what is called line betting, or placing two street bets. This lowers you payoff to 5-1 but you are betting on six numbers instead of three. Finally you can bet on a corner, which puts your chips on four adjacent squares and come in with an 8-1 payoff.

Outside Bets

Outside bets must meet the table minimum, but this betting area does not include the zero, making the odds a bit different. There are several different types of outside bets. Outside bets have much better odds of winning for the player but the payoffs are significantly smaller. In other words you can make what is known as a dozens bet, which allows you to bet on combinations of twelve numbers in a series, such a 1-12 or 25-36. Dozens betting pays off at 2-1.